PART3

Reflection

Project 1

Paper-cut is one of the most popular folk traditional decorative arts in China, and has a long history. Because of its easy material, low cost, good effect, wide adaptation and various styles, it can be used as a utility and can beautify life. Paper cutting can be seen all over the country, and even different genres of local style have been formed. Paper cutting is not only the aesthetic interest of the masses, and include a deep psychological ethnic society, one of the folk art is the most characteristic China. The work I cut out with a color paper cut is called single color paper cutting. It is the most commonly used form as monochrome woodcut in print, which is very simple and generous.

Yangzhou paper-cutYangzhou is one of China's earliest paper-cut popular area, a common theme for the fruits and flowers, birds and fish. Paper-cut modelling exquisite contours of big images, while the image being cut thin line.Shanxi paper-cutSimple shape, rough style, interesting implication, diverse forms, exquisite art, occupies a very important position in the national folk art. Their paper-cut full of rich soil atmosphere and strong emotional color, there is no slightest affectation, with a simple folk style. It has simple shape, pays attention to exaggeration and deformation, and inherits ancient aesthetic taste and modeling idea.Shandong paper-cutThe production is usually not drafts and cut straight down. It is characterized by the combination of common sawtooth lines and straight lines.

project 1

My previous themes were about Chinese culture. For example, KIMISHIBAI project is about a Chinese story of the seventh fairy, and the Narrative flux project is about a Chinese old history. For this project, my topic also about Chinese traditional culture.

In this project, I made a lino print. I will design one pattern of a paper-cut and in Chinese style. A Few days ago was Chinese new year, Spring festival cannot without paper-cut, only when the paper-cut posed on the window, it can make people feel the new year is coming. The paper-cut not only heighten the festive atmosphere, but also brought beautiful enjoyment to people. Chinese paper cutting is a picture cut out on a paper with scissors. The paper-cut art has become one of the magnificent and beautiful flowers in the Chinese national artistic pleasures. I want to make lino print of transfer joyous feeling.

The project name is Luck upside down, so the most important thing is the middle of the word, I put "福“ upside down. The second important is the surrounding design, I combined the features of Shandong paper-cut, design a number of teeth. In China, there are many auspicious items. For example, peony flower, coins, carp.Carps Jumping over the Dragon Gate is a legend handed down in China for generations.Carp, who successfully jump rapids and leap over waterfalls, change into fish-dragons. I compare fish as people, and bless them to succeed. In my design, apart from the words in the middle, It's bilateral symmetry. I printed them in both sides, because It is paper-cut, and they are positive and negative pattern. The impression of the spring couplets was created by four printings and combined them together. This is a very interesting attempt, because I have wrote couplets during the Spring Festival , but i never print my own paper-cut. I used red, It is very festive. This time, I am under the influence of traditional culture, on the other hand, I joined the observation and understanding of careful attention to the life, and through the rich imagination and daring, with paper-cut to express the feelings about life and the understanding of the beauty.

Square project

The theme is to create things in a big scale, and my inspiration comes from the theme of UNIT7, the Spring Festival. In my first project, I selected Chinese paper cutting. In this project, i still want to do something about Chinese New Year. I choose zodiac. The Chinese zodiac is any of the twelve animals, representing the twelve Earthly Branches,used to symbolize the year in which a person is born. They are Rat, Bull, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog,Pig.In the Chinese zodiac, the year 2018 is the year of the Dog.Dog is man's good friend who can understand the human's spirit and obey its master, whether he is wealthy or not. The Chinese regard it as an auspicious animal. If a dog happens to come to a house, it symbolizes the coming of fortune. The invincible God Erlang in Chinese legend used a loyal wolfhound to help him capture monsters. So I designed the dog very vivid, cartoon, and a combination of window cutting technique. For example, a tortuous edge and the hollow out of the body. The whole pattern is like a window cutting. In the place of word, it is a Chinese word "門", which means the door. This dog is like the paper cutting on the door. The second implication is that the dog is the watchman, and the dog guarded the house. And I found that the word "門", has the perfect combination of the 1x1 Square, and people need to look carefully to see the text, want to explore it.I find that a little change can make the work different.

square project

This word like a double door. The left and right two pieces are the door plates, and the two sides of the door are rotating shaft, and the door frame is formed with the top.

I found a stick, cut them off and stuck it on the wall. I twisted the abandoned line at random on the stick. Then I cut different shapes and put them on the stick. Because of my theme is the Spring Festival, the Spring Festival is a reunion festival. So I thought of the fetters between people. In the Spring Festival, all the Chinese all over the world miss their family members. People in the foreign country, the heart is worried about the motherland. I choose wooden sticks to represent different countries, and different shapes of paper were like different people. At first I was going to make the shape like birds and stick them on the wood, but I thought that everyone was a different individual, so I used it directly in shape. I chose red, the color of the heart. Using lines to connect them together to express the ability to fight loneliness and share joy.The final product I think is very successful, the shape and line are very hierarchical, and the red is prominent.Although the theme is about the Spring Festival, I will explore how to connect these works.

Publication

After Tutorial, I realized that if it was just a bit boring to design a new window cutting style and that I didn't express the reason why I did this topic(the first time I spent the Spring Festival in Britain), I heard the teacher's opinion, combining my own story with the paper cutting. First, I draw about my previous Spring Festival in China, hoping to show the traditional Chinese customs to the audience, such as giving red packets, watching Spring Festival Gala and having a family reunion dinner. Then I drew some pictures of Spring Festival in England this year, such as going to the Chinatown to see lanterns and having dinner with friends. In contrast, scenes and buildings are very different, but I have adopted methods of paper cutting, such as gear edges and various ways of expressing flowers.I found it interesting to combine paper cutting with British buildings. I designed a lot of patterns on London Bridge and bus. I like the collision of this kind of culture, so I have a feeling that I don't leave China. I added the outlined pattern of window cutting around every drawings. The outline was came from the edge of my first project. I only changed the contents. In the middle. It was a great combination.

I first plan what pictures I want to draw, and I choose many pictures of my old life. For example, the furnishings in my family, the kitchen in my home, and the market near my apartment. I painted last year's new year dinner, and I went to see the New Year movie with my family every year. Then I drew a scene in London this year. I went to China to eat with my friends, and then I played card games with my friends at home. We took photo on the roadside and then I added featured bus and flag in the background, showing me in the UK.Then what I think about is how to show this publication, because the window cutting is not a normal square, it's a rotated square, so how to connect them is a big problem, and the teacher's advice is to connect them with a rope. Later, I think that I hope my book can be launched like a screen. When I was trimming, I left a rectangle to set up the book. Then I thought there was something blank in the rectangular area. I will think about how to improve it.

I call this theme Byobu, this is the meaning of Japanese screen. The pattern in the middle is the form of Chinese screen, which focuses on the design of patterns, such as animals and flowers. The middle connection is simply rectangular and has six sides. Because in the Japanese screen, there are six main sides.

publication

I designed the cover, is a spring festival "春" word, but it is not only shown to the Chinese people, and my content is in China and the UK, so I added "Reunion" in the middle, which is also my expectation. I used this pattern on the back of the book. The content of painting is related to my life. I have taken some pictures of my life. Make my work and life have a communication.

My original drawings were black. I hesitated to keep black or change it to red or make the empty space red. I tried to use PS image processing software to turn the drawing place and blank area to red. I realized that the black part became red looks better, and I could clearly see what I was drawing. The theme is about paper, so I choose to print it out, each size is 13cm wide square, and then leave 6cm rectangle. I print the cover (also the back) again and again, and produce a longer print, which is a whole image illusion.I found that when the rectangular edge was folded, it was like a window cutting sticking to the door.After the book is unfolded, the whole book is more like a building. I was going to paint the blank area into a door to make it more vivid.

I painted the edge of the rectangle with red, but I did not draw the whole edges, only top ,left and right, because when it fits, like the door in the Chinese character, the idea comes from my second square project. So when it closing, the middle pattern is more like sticking on the door. I ever wanted to draw a pattern on a rectangle, such as a gate, because there were many lines in the middle, it would look very messy if it was around, so I only used simple pure color to express it. I think this idea is very interesting, which makes this work more beautiful. The only place that is insufficient is because the time is too urgent, and there are some flaws, so if I have more time, I will cut and print again.

On the day of the display, I brought the work that I did not complete, and I did not add lines on the rectangle, and the classmates said that there was too much to be white. Then, when I added lines, it increase fluency and attract attention.Today is the crit day of our fourth project. By looking at others' works, I realized that I still have many shortcomings. Everyone's works are very good. I really like a girl who made a small book combining lino print and screen printing. Then with a pair of homemade glasses, the lenses of different colors can see different contents, and you can see different questions and answers. I think it's a very interesting way to interact with the audience. This is a good communication with the audience. The only drawback is that I think she can make more spectacles for all audiences.

Final plan

I final work is about China knot, and the drawings are connected together with string. Chinese knot is a unique handcraft woven handcraft with Chinese characteristics. Its showing of emotion and wisdom is a part of Chinese ancient civilization. Chinese knot is not only beautiful and colorful, but also a warm and blessful blessing. It's a good work to praise and convey sincere and sincere prayer and wish.Chinese knot,each knot is from start to finish with a knot made from silk,every node and in accordance with its basic form,naming Italy.To a different node decorated with each other together,or other accessories with auspicious patterns mix,regarding the formation of a Chinese knot.It is the mathematical mystery of the game show.The complex has a graceful curve,but it can be reduced to the simple 2-D lines.It shows him with the wisdom of the Qing Zhi is the ancient Chinese civilization in one aspect.The material is made of red lines. I want to combine my work with the Chinese knot. I have drawn 26 pictures, part of them is about my past Spring Festival in China, and another is about what happened to me in London this year. This is the collision of Chinese and Western culture. I plan to finish six decorations, with five paintings each, and the first one is the cover of the previous book, the word "Chun".Then, on 9th, I discussed the exhibition plan with my tutor. In my original plan, 26 paintings were printed on paper and connected by wires. But the tutor said, if I screen printed on paper, there are no difference with print. Then the tutor suggest to use fabric, such as Muslims. First of all, it makes the picture very elegant and can swing with the wind. And cloth is very transparent, can see positive and negative side, I do not need to print two times. Secondly, it's important to communicate with the audience. When the pendant is swaying with the wind, the audience can shuttle between them, and can also observe closely.

12/04-13/04

On 12nd and13rd, I was doing screenprinting, and I have successfully completed six printing with Muslims. Next is connecting, which is as successful as I expected. The only thing I'm not satisfied with is that when they are connected, the fabric will be rolled together because it is too light. I haven't thought of a solution yet. I have made four samples, which is enough to express my plan for the exhibition.On the morning of 13rd, we did the group assessment, and the team members gave me a proposal to do more research and sketchbook and put all the finished outcomes on the workflow. I added the finished photos and I will spend more time on the sketchbook.

For this project, I also influenced by Shadow Play. Shadow Play, also known as shadow puppetry, is one of Chinese historic folk arts. Performed by three to five puppeteers, shadow play is a form of storytelling that uses puppets against an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of movement.During a shadow play, puppeteers hide themselves behind a white curtain and move stick-mounted puppets, while also narrating the story through folk song. Performances are generally accompanied by musicians playing drums and stringed instruments.

The Chinese shadow art is a unique artistic variety of Chinese folk arts and crafts and operas. It is an indispensable pearl in the art palace of the Chinese nation. When it moves, it's like a piece of animation, just like my painting. For future development, I can divide my pictures into different pictures to show one story. It can be made into animation.

13/04

Today, I have the tutorial, and I showed all the works. The suggestion given by tutor is to reprint and scan the publication, because the picture quality I made was too low, which greatly reduced its beauty. I did the scan and layout again, and learned the new way of typesetting, such as vector, which is very convenient to transform the color. In the last book, I didn't cut out the edges very neatly because of limited. I will be more careful this time. So in the next few days, I need to paste the book again and finish the A2 typesetting.

For the future study, I can try different materials, such as silk. Silk is characterized by comfort and looks smooth. I think the combination of silk and screen printing will be better. I will find more information related to my topic and read more books. Then I can have more drawings and more scenes of life in China and United Kingdom. If there are hundreds of paintings and then connected together, the exhibition will be more spectacular, and the audience can shuttle anywhere.

I want to let the Chinese people who live in a another country can feel they are having the new year and let them have a sense of returning to China. They are not alone.

14/04

Since I saw the paper-cut works of Shioyasu, I got new inspiration. She used a white paper as a curtain, and cleverly punctures and outlines, with countless tiny holes showing a spotless rose. I like her combination of works and projections. Shadows seem to be the second works. I will also try to use my work to find shadows in light. But when I use light to illuminate my work, the pattern can't be seen clearly. So I may need to change fabric or engraving content.If I want to find better transparent fabric, i need to use the best silk with the best penetration. On the one hand, fabrics should be thin, and on the other hand, printing must be stressed. For example, silk PAJ, silk georgette. Silk PAJ has the formation of fine silk, surface smooth, soft, thin and strong wear resistance. But sometimes it's too light to be a problem. This will be a huge project, and I will continue to do experiments.

When I was shooting the final product, I also put it on the door, and then let people came through the middle. The audience will hold up or look at it carefully. I think this way have a big communication with audience.